Obama's Blue Dog blues

The Democrats' plan for government health care is stuck in the mud right now. I can't see it getting through Congress in its present form, but what do I know, I was shocked that cap and trade made it out of the House. Of course that victory appears to be a Pyrrhic one for the left side of the aisle.

To calm down nervous Blue Dog Dems, the White House threw a bone at them, but it appears there is nothing there. Or they faked the throw. If you don't know what I mean, ask your dog.

The Wall Street Journal has more:

When Blue Dog Democrats revolted over the cost of ObamaCare 10 days ago, the White House quickly came up with a plan to give them political cover: a government board that would tell Congress how to restrain costs. Well, so much for that, as the Congressional Budget Office has now exposed this idea as another false economy. But it’s worth understanding the reason because it also exposes the core problem with government-run health care.

Over the weekend CBO director Douglas Elmendorf said the proposal will only save $2 billion over the next 10 years. That’s less than 0.2% of the total cost of the House bill, adding that “In CBO’s judgment, the probability is high that no savings will be realized.” Ever.

This is the same proposal that White House budget chief Peter Orszag has called “probably the most important piece that can be added” to the House health bill. Mr. Orszag has become a favorite of President Obama by claiming that “waste” can be sweated out of the health system without compromising quality. But lately he’s discovering that the power of positive technocratic thinking counts for little in Congress.

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